Highest Bidder

Maddie rubbed my knee in calming motions.

I shook my head to push it all aside. “There's no point for any of this,” I said. “I’ll have to give up Uni and get a full-time job.”

“You can't give up Uni!” Maddie protested. “I already had to give it up and our dear princess here is barely thriving in hers. We both need you to graduate, get a good job and help us out.”

“I’m not even offended,” Ella said, and rose to head into the kitchen. “I didn’t sign up for this goddamn tough world.”

We both turned to watch her dancing to the music in her head as she poured some of Maddie’s table wine into a plastic cup.

“How I wish I was that carefree,” I muttered.

“She can afford the luxury,” Maddie replied, in a hushed tone. “She still has her parents. We both don’t.”

I began to stretch out on the sofa to sleep.

Maddie pulled me back up. “You can’t sleep. We have to figure out this home repossession thing.”

“Not tonight. I can’t take any more of life’s bullshit today.”

Ella returned with her wine and kicked the sofa in agreement. “Get up. Let’s brainstorm. We’re good when we put our heads together.”

“How much does your mother’s apartment cost?” Maddie asked.

I popped one eye open. “Why? You want to buy it from my mom?”

“Sure, let me just make sure I can pay my rent this month first.”

I smiled weakly.

“No, really,” she insisted. “How much did your mom borrow off her home?”

“I don’t know. I was too shocked to take it all in properly. I’ll look tomorrow.”

Maddie looked at me sadly. “I think I’m going to cry.”

“It’s alright,” I consoled both her and myself. “It’s not a big deal, just a small hiccup. I’ll get through it. I’ll drop out of Uni and it’ll all be fine.”

That was when Ella suddenly dropped her bombshell, “I know how you can get at least fifty thousand pounds overnight.”

Freya

Maddie sat up from her bean bag, while my eyes narrowed with a mixture of skepticism and dangerous hope. For the longest time, none of us said a word, Maddie and me because we didn’t know what to make of Ella’s statement and Ella because she was milking every last drop of drama from the situation.

“Are you joking?” Maddie asked, finally.

“Why would I?” Ella shot back.

“How?” I noticed the slight vein bulging in Ella’s temple. That was her mark of honesty. She wasn’t kidding.

“Yeah, how?" Maddie asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.

If Ella had any hope of using the same method for herself, they were immediately dashed by Ella’s next words, “You can’t participate, Maddie, and neither can I. Only Freya can.”

“Why is that, then?” Maddie asked, her tone had become cynical.

“Do I have to sell a lung or something?” I asked.

“Not exactly.”

I immediately sat up. “Then what do I have to sell?”

Ella hesitated, her gaze roving between Maddie and I. “Think. What is it you have that Maddie doesn’t?”

“Fucking talk, for the love of God!” Maddie exploded.

“Calm down.” Ella chuckled. “It’s just a virginity auction.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Maddie asked.

“Haven’t you heard? It’s a big thing now. Instead of just giving it away, lots of girls are selling it at auction.” She got up and headed to the refrigerator.

“Hang on a minute,” Maddie squealed suddenly. “Freya’s still a virgin?"

Both Ella and I turned to frown at her.

She covered her mouth with a hand in amusement. “Sorry, I always thought you were messing about.”

Ella returned with a bowl of grapes.

“Can you please stop giving it to us in dribs and drabs and just spit it out,” Maddie said, her eyes flashing with impatience.

“Hold your horses, girl … I’m just about to do exactly that. The auctions are held in this very exclusive club. It’s called the Blue Butterfly. I heard of it from a friend.”

I immediately lost interest at the hearsay tag, but Maddie’s interest diminished not a bit. “Fifty thousand just for a night? You’re exaggerating.”

“I’m not,” Ella replied. “Thirty thousand is usually what an intact hymen goes for, but some girls, the really beautiful ones, have walked away with fifty, sixty, even seventy grand. The sky’s the limit. Just depends on the girl and how badly the guy wants her. With Freya’s figure and looks, I don’t see why she shouldn’t achieve a high sum either.”

Maddie was stunned speechless.

Whereas, I didn’t believe a word of this. “This actually happened to your friend?”

“No, to her friend’s sister.”

“Yeah, right ‘a friend of a friend’,” she said, making air quotes.

“I know it sounds totally unbelievable, but honestly, she’s a straight kind of person. I wouldn’t mention it otherwise.”